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2015/03/10 14:42:28
Subject: Legends Of Old Turag, A Fantasy Skirmish In Development (Any Feedback Welcome)
I've posted in a few places on here that I am currently working on developing a Fantasy Skirmish game, and now have the first draft of the core rules ready to go. This thread will be partly a blog following the design process, collecting and painting the Warbands and writing fluff for the setting, and partly an ongoing alpha-test for the rules if anyone is willing to provide feedback or give them a spin!
What Is This Game? Legends of Old Turag is a Fantasy Skirmish game using D8-based mechanics, fought between Warbands of 5-15 models a side. It is narrative-based, and will eventually include character creation mechanics and a full campaign/experience system. Inspired somewhat by Mordheim in style, the system is (hopefully) simple enough to play, but will provide enough depth to have tense, close and tactical games.
The Setting The setting for this game, the Cursed City of Old Turag, is one of adventure, treasure and rampant magic, where there is glory and riches to be had, but at great risk. It is themed a little on Eastern/Oriental myth and culture (largely thanks to the minis I have to base it around), and has rather different spins on a few classic Fantasy races, along with some factions that are unlike anything you will have encountered before. While a lot of the fluff is still in the conceptual stage, this game will, by the time I'm done with it, hopefully have a setting with a complete history and backstory.
The Minis You can use whatever minis you want for this game. Later on I'll put togetther a list of 'suggested ranges' for sourcing various Warbands, and show off my own I've collected, but at this stage, anything goes! In general, there will be some way to fit most Fantasy minis you have into a faction somewhere.
The Rules
Below you wil find a PDF of the core rules. these are by no means finished or complete, simply the basics you need to get playing!. At the moment, they only cover the core rules and special rules needed for the first 3 Factions (Sea Elves, Orcs and Humans), and they are far from perfect; there is plenty of wording to tidy up, tables to neated ect, all of which will happen soon. In the mean time, if you spot any issues, inconsistencies or ommissions then please do let me know!
What Now?
My to-do list is something like this, roughly in order:
- Neaten up Core Rules, with proper formatting ect.
- Fill out Profiles and Rules for remaining factions, expand/edit profiles as needed.
- Write up a list of Missions and scoring system.
- Write up Campaign system and Character Creation Mechanics.
Alongside this, I'll be putting together the fluff and maybe even some artwork for the setting, to make it a little more relevant.
In the mean time, thanks for reading! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the rulesm and I'll be back with more as soon as it's done!
Bit of both, really. If you feel like having a new system to play then feel free to just take this and run with it, but at the same time, and feedback you can give will help it get better and give you something better to use if you want! Either way, I'm eager to hear any thoughts on it!
There will be an update incoming later with all the stats for the 6 factions, some fluff/play notes on them and an expanded/redone gear system.
2015/03/11 20:28:29
Subject: Legends Of Old Turag, A Fantasy Skirmish In Development (Any Feedback Welcome)
Here are the updated rules. The core rules are largely the same as those added in the OP (with a few clarifications), but the stat sheets have been expanded to cover 7 factions. I've also added a gear list, rather than having pre-set loadouts for various warriors, making your warbands more customisable.
With these now in place, I can start to work on the fluff a little more, so expect more of that over the next few days.
So a couple things I noticed after reading the new rules.
1- Your description under points in the main rules is cut off. No big deal, but you probably want to fix it.
2- this one is a little bigger. I understand that you want armor to affect the evade attribute in close combat from your examples. However, I don't actually see a rule stating it. I've read them twice, and maybe i've over looked it, but I just don't see it. You probably need a rule outright stating that, otherwise, some people may miss it. If its there and I"m just obtuse, I apologize.
That being said, this is a neat ruleset. I'm gonna try it out this weekend. The only other thing that stands out to me, is that it seems to be very easy to hit in the shooting phase, but I want to try that out in an actual game before I say thats a real complaint. Just something that stood out as a potential point while reading through the rules.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/03/12 12:10:57
-I'll fix the points thing, I must have missed it.
- As for Armour and Evading, it says 'Subtract armour from Speed, use this as the Modifer'. So if you're an Elf (Sp5) in Light Armour and a Shield (Arm2), your overall mod is +3. If you're an Orc (Sp3) in Heavy Armour (+2), then you get a +1 mod, and are better off Defending. It's done that way to incentivise some models to Evade while others Defend, and because a guy in plate armour isn't dodging as easily as an Elf in chainmail. But if you missed that, then it probably needs clearing up. When I get around to formatting this properly, I'll make it clearer.
With shooting, it is probably a bit easy to hit, but bows in particular are not that effective- shooting at someone in any kind of armour, you're getting no Mod whatsoever, shoot at someone in heavy or with a shield and you're actually on a negative mod when damaging. It needs testing, as all this does, but I think the ease of hitting is balanced by a lower damage potential compared to whacking someone with a greatsword or axe.
Thanks again, I look forward to hearing about any testing you get done.
2015/03/12 12:39:28
Subject: Legends Of Old Turag, A Fantasy Skirmish In Development (Any Feedback Welcome)
It does say that on the armor now that you say it. I knew you meant it, and I looked for it for quite awhile before I said anything, in an attempt to be actually helpful and not look silly. And I still missed it!
Thats a good point on the shooting. That was more of a talking point than a criticism, when I wrote that. Sounds like you took the ease of hitting into account with the difficulty to wound.
This is cool stuff. Will let you know if I see anything else (or miss anything else) and I will definitley let you know how it goes when I try them out. I love skirmish level games, so this is definitly a cool project for me to follow.
Right, rather than re-upload the whole thing, here's a C&P of a few of the missions (more to come, of course). If anyone does get to test them out, I am of course open to any feedback.
Spoiler:
Missions:
Battles in the streets of Turag are rarely fought purely for blood, and are more often contests over valuable treasures, crucial land or vital resources. To select a mission, either agree with your opponent which to play, or randomly select. Each mission will tell you where to deploy your models, how long the game lasts and the goals you must achieve to win.
Mission Rules:
- The player who Deploys first will have the first turn
- A player that wipes out all his opponent’s models will automatically win
- In the event of a tie, the player that killed most points worth of enemy models will win.
Mission 1: Land Grab
Two bands clash over routes through the city or sites of huge importance. Now, each must stake their claim for the land.
Deployment: Both players roll a dice, and the player with the highest score may choose to deploy first or second, and which corner of the board to deploy in. Both players must place all their model without the Ranger rule within 12” of opposite corners, no closer than 12” to an enemy model.
Victory Conditions: Divide the board into 4 even sections along its width and length. These are Territories. The player with the most models in a Territory Controls it. At the end of the game, the player with the most Territories wins the game.
Game Length: This game has a Random Length. On each Game Turn after the 4th, roll a D8. If the total is 12 or higher, the game ends.
Mission 2: Burn Them Out!
A pleasant evening around the campfire is interrupted by the arrival of another band of warriors, out for blood and glory.
Deployment: Both players roll a dice, with the highest electing to play as the Attacker or Defender. The Defender deploys first, placing all his models within 6” of one board edge. The Attacker may then place his models anywhere within 24” of the opposite board edge.
Victory Conditions: Place 5 Objective Markers within 6” of the Defender’s board edge; these represent the stores, tents and other objects that make up the camp of the Defending band. An Attacking model may use an Interact Action to set an objective Alight when in contact with it, while a Defending model may use an Interact Action to put out a fire. If an objective is Alight for 3 consecutive player turns, it is destroyed. At the end of the game, count up the Destroyed Objectives; if 3 or more have been Destroyed, the Attacker wins, if not then the Defender wins.
Game Length: This game will last 10 Game Turns.
Mission 3: X Marks The Spot
There are rumours of a great treasure in the area, and two rival bands have set out to claim it. There will be blood!
Deployment: Both players roll a dice, and the player with the highest score may choose to deploy first or second, and which corner of the board to deploy in. Both players must place all their model without the Ranger rule within 12” of opposite corners, no closer than 12” to an enemy model.
Victory Conditions: Players take it in turns to place 10 Objective Markers (4 each) on the board, no closer than 6” to another Objective. These represent possible buried treasure, but not all are valuable. A model may use an Interact action to dig up a Marker and attempt to find the treasure. Roll a D8, adding 1 for each Marker that has already dug up; if the total is 10 or greater, you secure the treasure and victory.
Game Length: This game will run until the treasure has been found.
Also, I'm thinking I may have overestimated the worth of the Undead rule (when the model dies, place a marker that a spellcaster can then resurrect as a Skeleton, Zombie or Wraith). i have it set at 2 points in the calculator, but the testing I've done has resulted in a bit of a pasting for the Undead, with the rule not coming into effect hat often compared to how often the minis die.
So, if anyone fanices it, try dropping the cost of any model with the Undead rule by 1 point, see how that works. It'll only get you an extra Zombie or something, but might even things up.
2015/03/16 23:36:01
Subject: Legends Of Old Turag, A Fantasy Skirmish In Development (Any Feedback Welcome)
Great stuff man! I think you are on to something very cool and easily playable. Its nice that the defender gets a choice in reaction. Have you thought about giving them an option to parry and strike back? Maybe make it somewhat riskier than defending with a weaker attack back.
My other suggestion would be make heavier weapons like warhammers and such give the defender a bumb in speed to make them a bit easier to evade.
Is it an IGOUGO activation style?
I keep trying to get our project posted up here but I just can't be pulled away from 28mm WW2 at the moment.
Looking Foward to more!
2015/03/17 11:33:08
Subject: Legends Of Old Turag, A Fantasy Skirmish In Development (Any Feedback Welcome)
Yes, it's IGOUGO in that each side actives all their stuff before swapping. It's a tad simplistic, and open to change, but it works well enough. I was considering porting the Command mechanic in from Deadzone (activate number of minis equal to you team's highest Command stat) but that's another stat, and I'm trying to keep this simple as possible.
I had certainly thought about adding a general Speed penalty for 2-handed weapons (basically nicking the more power=less speed from Skyrim), so far I've just settled for more power costing more. Aagin, I'll see how it goes.
I consider allowing striking back, but in practice, it works well enough as is. The idea came from Kings of War actually, with only 'fighting' on your turn. Think about it like this: A guy runs at you screaming with a battleaxe, your first thought is always going to be 'oh , so you try and get out of the way or fend it off as best you can. Then, with the energy of his charge spent, you dart in and go on the attack. It simulates the back and forth of combat nicely, and has the nice side effect of you being in control/not in danger on your own turn. You fight 1 'round' of combat (each player striking) over 1 Game Turn, rather than the 40k-esque system where you essentially get to fight twice as often as doing anything else.
Thanks for the feedback! I'll be running some more tests today, and should have an updated Core Rulebook with missions ect soon.
2015/03/17 14:30:12
Subject: Legends Of Old Turag, A Fantasy Skirmish In Development (Any Feedback Welcome)
Yeah I hear you on keeping things to a minimum. Several times we have thought to add something and then stopped and thought, What does this really do and is it worth disrupting the established flow of the game?
I think these things are easier to let go of once you are comfortable assuming that just because models aren't rolling dice at each other it doesn't mean that they are just frozen in time. They are perfectly busy having a go at one another its just not "effective" until the dice make it so.
So yeah a parrying function seems unnecessary given that "turns" are only a few seconds. I suppose a successful evade or defense and then a follow on attack is essentially a parry in itself.
2015/03/17 15:19:25
Subject: Legends Of Old Turag, A Fantasy Skirmish In Development (Any Feedback Welcome)
I think these things are easier to let go of once you are comfortable assuming that just because models aren't rolling dice at each other it doesn't mean that they are just frozen in time. They are perfectly busy having a go at one another its just not "effective" until the dice make it so.
So yeah a parrying function seems unnecessary given that "turns" are only a few seconds. I suppose a successful evade or defense and then a follow on attack is essentially a parry in itself.
Exactly!
I too was sceptical when I first came across this in KoW, but after a few games of that I realised it really does work. At any given point in a fight, one or the other combatant is going to be on the offence, rather than the 40k-style setup where everyone is trying to kill everyone else with no thought for their own safety (which to some extent is forgivable in unit-based combat, where you have multiple smaller melees going on 'in reality' within that).
It also avoids the potential mess of multiple combats that just get confusing; with this system, 3 guys can attack one and try to stack some wounds (useful for beating Monsters), but the one guy can only attack one back, so each combat is only ever 1 dice/model vs 1 dice/model, which is both easy to resolve and realistic.
2015/03/20 21:35:21
Subject: Legends Of Old Turag, A Fantasy Skirmish In Development (Any Feedback Welcome)
Haha, got a bit distracted by a shiny box of DeadZone/40k in the post today, but I'll have some more soon.
There's plenty of P&M stuff going on for this, check out the last few updates in my blog or the relevant folders in my gallery to see the whole lot in detail. Here are the crew shots:
The New Turagish (humans)
The Undead:
Sea Elves:
Rampant Magic:
Orcs (so far, many more to do)
I'll be doing features on each of these factions here (models, playstyle and fluff) as and when I get round to them.
![[Disk]](/dakkaforum/templates/default/images/icon_disk.gif){kind=icon}
, so you try and get out of the way or fend it off as best you can. Then, with the energy of his charge spent, you dart in and go on the attack. It simulates the back and forth of combat nicely, and has the nice side effect of you being in control/not in danger on your own turn. You fight 1 'round' of combat (each player striking) over 1 Game Turn, rather than the 
